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Mosaic/Issue 1
This is the first issue of Mosaic by Dixonlovessquirrels, titled "Where the Rubber Meets the Road". This issue was released on May 30th, 2014. Legend Present Flashback Dream Where the Rubber Meets the Road It was dark. Extremely dark. He couldn't see. His eyes were closed. The smell of smoke filled up his lungs. Ash was falling on his face, but he felt paralysed. It was if he could move, but for some reason his body wasn't listening. The ash felt cold at first, but eventually became hot and began to burn him. He quickly raised his hand, but it barely moved an inch before he felt an intense pain in his entire body, like all of his muscles were tight, and all of his bones were broken. He opened his eyes slowly, everything was blurry. All he could hear was fire. The crackling of the fire sounded close, the occasional pop would send shivers down his spine, almost as if he was expecting something to blow up. His vision became clearer. He was staring at trees, tall and peaceful looking. They seemed to stand taller than the sky. The smoke started to blow past him, he saw the dark gray mixture floating in the air, following the wind. A piece of ash fell in his eye, this time he had the strength to lift his arm. He rubbed his eye vigorously, trying to get the ash out of it. He sat up, still somewhat sitting down, as he took his hand away from his eye and tried to gain focus. His eye was tearing up, but not from the ash, and not from the pain. The sight in front of him shocked him so much that he cried. He couldn't believe it. Michael stood up, barely able to balance himself. He looked at two cars, both on fire. Both of their hoods pressed up against each other. There seemed to be a crash, a bad one. He recognized one of the cars, the one Reese had given him with the replaced license plate. The other car... he had no clue. It was a grey BMW, that's all he could make out. The thought of possibly getting caught again made him cry. He ran to the car, the pain in his body was gone, but he didn't seem to notice. He kept a safe distance from the fire, blocking his eyes as it began to hurt them. He got around to the side of the other person's car, trying to see through the window, the heat haze blocking him from seeing anything. He sprinted to the back of the car, trying to see in through the back window. There didn't seem to be anybody in the car, but that wasn't going to stop him... nobody else was going to be killed because of him. He grabbed a piece of metal that must've flown from one of the cars off the side of the road. Only now did he see that they were in the middle of nowhere, far from any bit of civilization. When he touched the metal, it almost burned through his skin. He quickly let go, dropping it onto the ground. He took off his jacket, suddenly feeling cold being away from the fire. He grabbed the piece of metal with his jacket, quickly running to the car while the metal began burning through the leather. He threw the piece of metal at the back window of the car. The window smashed, shattering successfully. He moved towards the back window, climbing up on the trunk. He put his head inside the window, trying to get a view of the driver's seat. It was empty. He felt relieved at that moment, but he saw that the windshield was broken, making it possible that the driver could've been thrown from the window into the fire. He quickly got out of the back window, running around to the front of the car. The flames were too big, too strong. It wasn't possible to see anything, but there probably wasn't anything to see. He thought to himself, maybe the body was completely incinerated. Maybe there wasn’t any body left. But he just wasn't sure. Could a body completely be burned to ashes? Ashes... another thought that came to him. People get cremated all the time. Maybe it was possible. Maybe. The last burnt body he saw wasn't completely gone. Suddenly, a sick feeling came to his stomach. How long were they out there? A few minutes... an hour? He stood a few feet away from the fire, his jacket firmly gripped in his hand. He sat down on the side of the road, on a soft patch of grass. There were two things he could do. One: stay here and wait for somebody to come... inevitably getting caught. Two: run. Number two was a much better option, but everything was in that car. Suddenly, that thought startled him. Everything was in that car. He stood up, looking at his car. He ran, dropping the jacket on the side of the road, trying not to think about the flames. He ran to the back of the car, standing on top of the trunk, and kicking in the back window. No time to get another piece of metal. He kicked it again and again until it smashed. He tried to remove as much glass as he could, before climbing in. He put his hand on the back seat, lifting himself towards it. He crawled through the car quickly, remembering that they were on the passenger seat. He leaned towards the front of the car, his head now dangerously close to the flames. He looked on the seat, seeing the ID and wallet lying there. He grabbed them, jumping to the backseat. He was about to open the back door, but remembered why he didn't use it in the first place. The fire was flying past it, the wind now stronger than ever. He climbed through the back window, finally getting outside. He jumped off the trunk, running to the side of the road where his jacket lay. That was a close one. ---- Michael sat on a chair, staring at a white wall. His hands rested on a metal table, handcuffed to it. His mind was empty, he deserved what he had gotten. It was the end game. The door behind him opened. He heard it being closed, and then heard footsteps walking behind him. The footsteps went around the room, Michael didn't bother turning his head to look. Eventually the footsteps stopped in front of him, Michael was in too much of a trance to notice. ''' '''The person in front of him pulled out the seat opposite Michael's, taking a seat. He sat down with elegance. His appearance was sharp, dressed in a dark suit. His hair was clean cut, shaved at the sides. He was a dark skinned man, the look on his face made it look like he was sure of himself. He didn't look at Michael yet, instead, putting his briefcase on the table. He opened it, and began fumbling through a bunch of papers, taking out a stack and placing them on the table to his left. He continued fumbling, this time taking out a stack of files, placing them on the table to his right. The last thing he took out was a tape recorder, holding it in his hand as he closed the briefcase and put it on the ground. He placed the tape recorder in the middle of the table, Michael noticed this. ''' '''Michael raised his head towards the man in front of him. When he looked at his face, the man was staring back at him, making eye contact. The man just stared, as if he was waiting for Michael to begin a conversation. The tape recorder was off, which made Michael feel a bit easier. The man sighed, leaning his back against the back of the chair. "Let me ask you something..." the man began, "What am I here for?" Michael stared at him, keeping his mouth shut. He wasn't in the mood for talking, he just wanted to go back to his cell, and stay there. There was a couple seconds silence, the man waiting for Michael to answer. "I'll ask again..." the man repeated, "What am I here for?" Michael turned his head, staring down at his handcuffs. He opened his mouth, ready to answer. "To bring me on a date?" Michael muttered, a faint smirk plastered on his face. The man sighed, it wasn't that he was annoyed, but more that he was disappointed by the answer. He wasn't expecting the right answer, but he had hoped Michael would make an effort. "My name is Ted Grey", the man stated, "I'm a psychiatrist. You know what I'm here for? I'm here to help you accept". Michael looked up at him, almost as if it was the exact opposite thing he was expecting to come out of Ted's mouth. He squinted his eyes, and leant forward on his seat. He stared deeply into Ted's eyes, trying to see if he was being serious. "You're not here to tell me what I did was wrong?" Michael asked, "Or to tell me that I'm a sick bastard? Or maybe that you hope I rot in hell forever?" Ted smiled, taking a deep breath and giving himself a minute to think. "I don't think sharing my opinion about you with you is gonna help me get my job done", Ted sighed, "Like I said, I'm here to help you accept". "Accept what?" Michael asked, not using a millisecond to think, "Accept that I'm gonna be in prison the rest of my life? I've already accepted that". "Not that", Ted interrupted him, "I'm here to help you accept what you did... accept who you are". "And who am I?" Michael asked. ---- He was sitting on the side of the road, the ID in one hand, the money in the other. He looked to his right, looking down the empty road, and then to his left, which was also empty. He was waiting for somebody to come, somebody who must've seen the mile-high pillar of smoke. He put the ID and money in his jacket pocket, and buried his face in his hands. He began to cry, it felt as if everything was over. He raised his head, staring at the forest in front of him. He looked behind him, another forest. He had already chosen to run, but where the hell could he go? He stood up, the fire was now beginning to die down. His mind was going crazy, his head was spinning. He closed his eyes, maybe an idea might miraculously come to him. A twig snapped behind him. He turned around rapidly, so fast that he almost collapsed. When his sight became clear, he saw a woman in front of him. The woman was behind a tree, moving slowly towards him. Michael didn't know what to do, he wasn't even sure if she saw him. He couldn't just run now, maybe he could ask to use a phone or something. Maybe Reese could loan him another car. He might as well go for it. Michael picked up his jacket, putting it on and began walking forward, trying to get a good look at the woman. "Hello?" he called out. She moved, she had to have heard him. She made a noise, which sounded more like a growl. Michael stopped walking, it startled him. "Ma'am?" he called out, "Do you have a phone?" She walked around the tree, and began walking towards him. He noticed the marks on her face. Her face was yellow, cut up and look decayed. Her clothes were torn and dirty. He knew what she was, but it wasn't possible. "Hey... Are you okay?" he asked. She snarled at him, now moving towards him faster. He took a step back. He was dreaming, this wasn't real. But hell, it's better than prison... right? He turned around, so fast that his head couldn't bare it. He fell to the ground, feeling too dizzy to run. He began crawling, hearing the twigs and leaves snapping behind him gave him the worst feeling of his life. As he was about to jump up, his hand landed on a branch. He turns around, now crawling backwards. He lifts the branch and points it at the lady. "Get back!" he shouted, hoping she would listen, "If you're some stupid bitch pulling a prank then you better stop now!" She kept moving, not reacting to his words. So, he managed to lift himself up, and got the branch in his hand ready. He raised it behind his shoulder, delaying the inevitable. But it was going to happen either way. He swung the branch, not even giving himself a second to think. It smashed against her face, knocking her on the ground. The branch snapped, the part Michael was holding now with a sharp end to it. Before the woman could get back up, he stood on top of her, lifting the branch, and swinging it into the back of her head. ---- "That's up to you to find out", Ted explained. He grabbed a file from his right, opening it up and placing it in front of him. He took a look at it, studying it carefully. Michael sat there quietly, leaving Ted to do whatever he needed to so that he could get out as quick as possible. ' '"Why me?" Michael asked after a few minutes. "What do you mean?" Ted replied, his eyes not leaving the papers in front of him. "Why are you doing this with me?" Michael continued, "Why did the warden let you do this? And... What is this for? Why do you care?" "You want me to answer them in a row?" Ted asked, looking up at him, a slight smile on his face. "Until you answer them all, I ain't accepting shit", Michael snapped. Ted leant forward on the table, his eyes squinted, as if he had to come up with the answers on the spot. "As you know... I'm here to help you accept", Ted began, "I'm not just here for you. I'm here for all of the inmates. You see, I'm writing a book, which goes inside the minds of the most dangerous inmates... or the ones who aren't dangerous at all. The warden is a fan of my father's work-" "Was your father a psychologist too?" Michael asked. "I'm a psychiatrist", Ted corrected him, "And no... he was actually a structural engineer. He had helped him with a project a few years before he passed away, so it wasn't too hard for me to convince him to let me do this. And that's all". "You forgot one question", Michael indicated, "Why do you care?" Ted looked down at the files, staring at the notes as to why Michael was arrested. He looked back up at Michael. "I don't care", Ted asserted. Michael smiled, he knew this guy was an asshole. Every shrink is. He was just gonna sit there from now on, probably annoy him a little. But there was one question biting him in the ass. "Are you gonna come back?" Michael asked, as Ted continued reading the files. "What? You like me already?" Ted sneered. "I just wanna know if I gotta keep making the effort to piss you off", Michael smirked. Ted kept his cool, and even gave a little smile. He stood up, walking to the door. He knocked on it, three loud bangs. A guard opened it, Ted whispering something to his ear. The guard whispered something back, and as they continued, Michael looked at the files. He noticed a picture, all he could see was a picture of something burned, and what looked like a charred body. ''' '''He turned his head, ready to throw up. His breathing became louder and faster, a panic attack beginning to happen. But it was interrupted by the guard, who came over to him. The guard grabbed Michael's arm, unlocking the handcuffs from the table. His hands were still handcuffed, but he now had the freedom to roam around... maybe even strangle that dickhead psych-- something. As Ted sat down again, and the guard closed the door, Michael was trying to figure out why he did that. "I know you're not gonna hurt me", Ted said, as he resumed reading the files, "You're one of the few who aren't dangerous". ---- Michael took a few steps back, as the branch was now stuck in a verticle position in the woman's head. He began breathing heavily, his hands became clammy, his heart started racing. Another panic attack. It quickly went away, faster than it ever has. The adrenaline was a nice cure. He didn't know what to do, or where to go. He was now in a different world, a world where man must survive against... everything. He turned around to go back to the road, but stopped as he noticed a figure in front of him. His first instinct was to go back for the branch, but the gun aiming at his head suggested something else. The person in front of him was alive, and armed. Michael raised his hands, not wanting to scare the person. He got a good look at their face, now able to see that it's a man. He looked a few years older than Michael, wearing a blood-stained white t-shirt. He didn't look too sure of himself. "I'm not a zombie", Michael said. "I know", the man replied, "But I've seen the movies... the zombies aren't the worst part". "To be honest dude, I'm too damn tired to be a threat", Michael said, putting his hands back down. The man lowered the gun a tiny bit, still keeping it up. "You know where we are?" the man asked. "Not really..." Michael sighed, feeling a bit easier. The man didn't seem to recognize Michael, so it was still possible for him to get away. But then the zombie came back into his head. "I was just in New Orleans", the man said, "In a damn hospital. Where the hell am I now?" "I have no idea", Michael said, "Last time I checked I was in Oklahoma. But we could help each other". "Can I trust you?" the man asked, raising the gun a little higher. Michael thought about this for a moment, before looking back at the man, "What's your name?" "Danny", the man replied, "Danny Miller". "I'm Michael Gunn", Michael said, "And it would be delightful if you didn't shoot me". Danny smiled, lowering the gun, "Now... Back to my question... Can I trust you?" ---- As Michael sat in the chair, he became a bit impatient. He tried to entertain himself, thinking about how Ted's book would go, what inmates have probably tried to kill him already. Writing a book is a bit of a bullshit reason to be doing all of this, and Michael knew there was more to it. He just wanted Ted to get it over with. Unfortunately, Michael didn't have any patience. He stood up, walking to the door. "Where are you going?" Ted asked. Michael knocked on the door, "There's no point to this, doc. I already know who I am". A guard opened the door, Michael whispering to him, "We're done here". "And who are you?" Ted shouted as Michael was about to be taken away. Michael turned his head, looking in at Ted, who obviously seemed interested in Michael's case. If he came back, it would be easy to mess with him. But instead of messing with him again, he chose to tell the truth. "I'm the bad guy", Michael stated, as the guards dragged him away from the room. ---- "Yeah", Michael assured Danny, "You can trust me". ---- ---- ---- Main Page: Mosaic|Next Issue: Issue 2 Credits *Michael Gunn *Ted Grey *Danny Miller *Reese (Mentioned) Deaths *None Title Meaning "Where the Rubber Meets the Road" has many different meanings, but the meaning for the title of this issue means when something is about to begin, get serious or put to the test. The title is referencing the beginning of the story, the beginning of Michael's story, and how Michael's survival skills will be put to the test. Trivia *This is the first issue of Mosiac (obviously). *First appearance of; Michael Gunn, Ted Grey, Danny Miller. **Reese is briefly mentioned in the beginning of the issue. *This issue introduces two of the eight main characters in the story. **Michael and Danny are the two main characters. *Unlike my other stories, zombie movies and such exist in this universe. Category:Mosaic Category:Mosaic Issues Category:Issues Category:Pilots